School Sport: Outstanding Ta'a wins scholarship

The unbeaten Napier Ross Shield team celebrate their success in Waipukurau on Saturday.

Taneilu Ta'a ... Hawke's Bay rugby fans remember this name.

Napier head coach Kerry Lewis was comparing the Napier Intermediate School year eight student with All Black legend Michael Jones after his team won the 112th annual Wattie's-sponsored Hawke's Bay Ross Shield tournament in Waipukurau on Saturday. He wasn't exaggerating either.

"TJ [Ta'a's nickname] was a great impact player for us at either six or seven. He reminds us of a young Michael Jones ... he runs the right lines, boasts heaps of pace, has a fantastic fend and makes killer tackles. He just ticks every box," Lewis said after Napier beat another previously unbeaten side, IMS Payroll Hastings West, 27-12 in the title decider.

Ta'a received the Jarrod Cunningham Trust Scholarship at the tournament's closing ceremony.

The scholarship covers the costs of an International Rugby Academy of New Zealand course.

Ta'a was also one of nine Napier players named in the Hawke's Bay Ross Shield side. Lewis had no qualms about his team missing out on the Taupo Trophy which is awarded to the player-of-the-tournament. Talented Hastings West first five-eighth Fred Gibson took this trophy home.

"Team consistency was our main focus this week. I told the boys before we played West we would come off the field as champions regardless of the result and I'm happy with nine in the Hawke's Bay team ... they all put their hands up."

Lewis, who was a first-year coach at the tournament, will be back at the helm again next year. He was full of praise for his fellow coaches and support staff.

One of his support staff was nutritionist Pete Gimblett, who Lewis said did a fantastic job.

Lewis pointed out one of the keys to Napier's unbeaten run was a cultural day staged during their buildup. Former Napier co-coach Roger Aranui spoke to the team about the "Ross Shield magic" previous Napier teams had experienced.

"Today these boys had their taste of Ross Shield magic," Lewis added.

It was appropriate Aranui's son Manaaki, a third-generation Ross Shield player, should score the first try against West.

Manaaki's grandfather Peter Anderson, who played for Central in 1952 and '53, had travelled from Gisborne for the final day of the five-day event. Locks Jimmy-Lee Pentland and Joshua Gimblett had huge workrates in the Napier pack.

Centre Kegan Christian-Goss was classy in the winning backline. Gibson scored a cracker of a solo try for West.

His midfielders Tristan Hohipa and Hamish Bogard-Allan operated well.

The smaller West pack struggled to compete with the Napier forwards. West coach Ross McLeod was proud of what his troops achieved and pointed out four of them will be eligible again next year.

Lindisfarne College year eight student Gibson said it was "pretty awesome" to receive the Taupo Trophy.

A Hastings Rugby and Sports Rebels 12th grader this year, Gibson, regards former All Black winger Doug Howlett and current ABs Israel Dagg and Dan Carter as his heroes.

A keen cricketer and sprinter in the summer, Gibson has been clocked at 12 seconds for 100m. He reminded this reporter of another Taupo Trophy winner, current Magpies centre Richard Buckman.

However Gibson's parents pointed out their son is unlikely to grow as big as Buckman.